Emmy versus Jerry

Sometimes in life, you have to choose between an awards show that you're not interested in and a football game you don't care about. The Emmy Awards are cool, you get to see your favorite television stars win awards and make silly acceptance speeches, some more entertaining than others. Sometimes the host even does a good job, sometimes. And then there is a football game, between one team you don't like and another team you don't care about, but it's being played in the world's largest stadium, deep in the heart... of Texas - and you don't want to miss that.

Jerry Jones built a colossal stadium for his football team, so f'n big one has to wonder if Mr. Jones is making up for some insecurity, be it physical or mental (I'm sure he can ask his friend Bob about Enyzte). This is one HUGE stadium, the standing room plaza can hold the population of Vermont, which is both unnecessary and silly since most Vermonters aren't huge football fans.

So there's this gigantic stadium with this colossal hi-definition television hanging over the field that is placed just in the right spot so it becomes an obstacle course for punters. The stadium is so big that John Madden can sit in the luxury suites and the building doesn't begin to tilt. What I'm saying is, it's a big stadium. So if you're me, and you like a big stadium and fancy cheerleaders on pseudo-stripper poles, you say, "sure, i'll watch them cowboys against them giants and hope for the best."

Or maybe you want to watch Doogie "Neil Patrick Harris" Howser and his attempt at hosting an awards show. Truth be toldm, NPH did a good job, and I think awards show producers are figuring out that you don't necessarily need or want a comedian to host everything. Ellen Degeneres has hosted the Emmys, and let's just say her own batch of humor is good for her show, but not necessarily other shows. Chris Rock hosted the Oscars once, and while he is a funny motherf*cker, the audience isn't really looking for jokes or brash racial humor, they're looking for awards and winners and good musical numbers.

So Neil, like his Oscar counterpart, Hugh Jackman, put in a strong showing and kept the energy focused on the awards, and not lame jokes or weird introductions. He was even allowed to poke fun at the winners and losers, like when Jon Cryer won for '2 and a half men' and they did a short bit of 'bitterness' schtick. Not hilarious, but a good break from "it was an honor to be nominated and i share this with my fellow nominees" There is no sharing in Hollywood, unless you are Charlie Sheen or one of his hookers.

CBS even went so far as to preview the upcoming presenters with a chyron, similar to the "New at 11" graphic you often see at the end of 10pm shows - a clever way to keep things going. Ultimately, they had enough funny presenters and winners who know how to entertain the audience and make the show not boring. Ricky Gervais did his bit about why he seems like an attractive man in the Emmy crowd, as opposed to the glitz and glamour of the Oscars - and he has point, albeit a drunken one.

On the comedy side of things, the one that really matters - to me at least, 30 Rock and The Daily Show were the big winners. They seem to be the awards show stalwarts, i.e. if there is a category with either show in it - that show will win. I was hoping, although I knew it wouldn't happen, that The Family Guy would win something, anything. It's a tremendously offensively funny show that never got to go mainstream - and I would love to hear a Seth McFarland acceptance speech.

Oh yeah, and the Giants beat the Cowboys 33-31 in the final minute. A closer game than I thought, but when your team is down and looking for a comeback, don't go to Tony Romo - he's busy removing his " I Heart Jessica" tattoo.